Road Of Advancement

Theodore found himself tired and drowsy for several days. His consciousness slipped several times after he exerted himself too much. In the beginning, unbeknownst to himself, he had set waves off in the family compound. After his first noticeable movement, family-members had come and visited him numerous time. His grandfather had moved into the room next to his Theodore. He would fiercely argue that his old bones could only rest when he was close to Theodore. Therefore the family hastily refurbished the room next door to accommodate Theo's grandfather. They all felt completely helpless at the old mans' request.

Another change was the twenty-four-hour surveillance and nursing. His grandmother had immediately insisted upon strict policies. His room was guarded by four staunch guards and his caregivers and doctors had doubled down on their checkups and monitoring. The entire family had instantly sprung into action. The dreary mood was replaced by expectancy and hope.

These changes had later also alerted Theodore. He had then known his status within the family couldn't be low. He was regarded with quite a bit of importance. He had also silently cursed the original Theodore for takings such risks and 'leaving' his loving family. Even though the memories of the last years of Theo, where he'd locked himself up were making the impression that he had a harsh life - his family was definitely a warm cosy one! He felt loved and decided he would not cross his family! If they would care for him, he would definitely care for them!

During the times he was awake, he would listen in on the conversations around him. This greatly filled him in on the details of the family! This would help him get accustomed to his role as Theodore. However, he surmised, he would never be the 'same' Theodore. He couldn't be worried though; a near-death experience would ultimately change everyone. He also spent most of his last eight years in isolation. So being a bit different was to be expected.

On his fifth day, he recovered most of his abilities and he decided it was time to 'fully awaken'.

"Grandfather.." A soft and dry sound left the lift of Theodore - so soft it was almost inaudible.

However, the entire room, which had been filled with soft chattering, was immediately silent.

"Yes, yes, grandson, I'm here, don't worry, everything will be alright, grandfather promises.." Tears welled up in his grandfathers' eyes as his voice trembled and almost broke. He gestured everyone to be absolutely silent as he sat on the side of Theo's bed and took hold of his hands. For most of the family, this was only the third time in their lifetime they had seen the old' man this emotional. The first was when he heard his son had gone MIA. The second when he heard his grandson was as good as dead and third... third was this moment wherein Theo had spoken his first word since his coma.

Theo smiled softly, touched by his grandfathers' emotion.

An elderly man with a white coat walked up to his bed. he quickly glanced at the different machines that were set up next to Theodore's bed.

"Don't stress yourself Theodore, you're body is in no state to exert itself. It is best if you rest up a bit more. We'll start rehabilitating you from tomorrow onwards. You will have plenty of time to converse with your grandfather when you've fully rehabilitated."

"Thank you dr.Morgan. Will he be able to fully recover?" Theo's grandfather questioned.

"According to his vital signs and the scans we've done over the past few days Theodore is recovering remarkably well. Full recovery at this point is very likely. Medical science these days can almost cure anything. The poison we've encountered however was very unique. Truthfully we haven't quite figured out how Theo's body managed to escape certain death. However, at this point, the poison has been completely eradicated from his body. His body is now feeling the consequences of a long period of limited movement and low-calorie intake. His muscles have degraded a bit and his physical rehab will take a bit of time. With certain medicines and the right exercises, I'm confident Theodore will recover. " dr. Morgan stated while his eyes wandered between the displays of the machines and his tablet in his hands.

An audible sigh was heard in the room.

Dr Morgan continued "We will continue to monitor his situation and keep you updated. Tomorrow we will take Theodore for a full scan to be more certain of his current physical situation. It is best to give Theodore his well-deserved rest."

Theo's grandfather flashed a smile of understanding and left Theo's bedside. He also briefly locked his eyes with the rest of the gathered family, as if to repeat the instructions of dr Morgan. No one was to disturb Theodore.

"Thank you very much, dr Morgan. I'm very grateful for the assistance and care you've given our Theodore. If there's anything you need, do not be hesitate to ask this old man. My words still carry some weight here. Let it never be said that I, Randall Theodore Grey Louis Thompson, forget to repay my gratitude." He sincerely spoke to dr Morgan with a stern and heavy voice.

His face seemed to have visibly aged ever since Theodore had been in a coma. Not a day had gone by that he had not visited Theodore and spoke of his many regrets. He would not sit by idly by as his grandson walked the rope between life and death. He had invited dr Morgan to take care of Theodore for a considerable sum of money.

The old man hadn't hesitated to splurge for the best care. Not having taken proper care of Theodore had become his greatest regret. He had taken the sideline when he should've taken care of Theo. He feared his regret came too late. He wouldn't be able to live without his son and grandson. After his son had gone MIA, he had buried himself in work. Never properly taking care of his feelings.

Now the old man could only scold himself for the fool he had been. He hadn't given the past a place and had almost lost the present and future. He swore to never again make such a grave mistake. He would fight for Theodore's future.

Theodore rested the coming days and went for his full checkups. With the current standards of medicine, he recovered in a very noticeable rate every day. After two weeks he was even declared to be fully healthy. His body looked robust, no longer as frail as he was when he laid in his hospital bed. His face carried a resoluteness that wasn't usually seen in teens his age. His clear blue eyes twinkled intelligently in his handsome face. Even Theodore himself was surprised to see himself after these two weeks.

'I've hit the jackpot! I'm born into a multi-billionaires family. I am handsome and people love and respect me! My starting point after transmigration truly isn't bad!' Theodore thought while he seized himself up in the mirror. When he looked at the white bandaged patch on his arm he shivered as he remembered his periodically injected 'medicine'.

The modern medicines where great, he admitted, as the result were incredible. However, with all this scientific advancement, why is it still necessary to inject medicine! He could swear it was just a preference of his rather beautiful nurse. He couldn't quite put himself to like her though. She had definitely taken great care of him and been very nice to him. However, whenever came to inject him with that needle, he swore she looked way too excited. He shivered thinking back to her shining eyes and high squeaky voice as the injected him with medicine.

"Young Master, your grandfather requests your presence in his study. He has tasked me to see you to his room now." A servant knocked on the door of his room and announced.

Theodore was roused from his thoughts as he had been staring at his reflection for a bit. He had become accustomed to this body but he couldn't help but look at the mirror every day to ascertain everything that happened was actually real.

"I'll follow you in a moment. Please give me a moment to get dressed." Theo answered the call of the servant.

Earlier the servants had already prepared his suit for the day. It was common for well off families to dress in suits. For Theodore, this was no different from before he was maimed in his previous life. He would feel most comfortable in a suit. It was the outfit that gave him confidence and comfort.

After dressing up he followed the servant to his grandfathers' study. After knocking and announcing his arrival Theodore walked into his grandfathers' study for the first time after transmigrating. From his memory, he knew the room to be lavishly decorated and filled with bookshelves. The chair behind the desk, however, was plain-looking and rather uncomfortable. This was part of his families tradition; their wealth was not to interfere with their attitude! One must work hard, be diligent and not be focused on short term gains! The chair was a symbol of sturdiness and diligence. For wealth, the family would never waver!

"Take a seat, Theodore." His grandfather gestured him to a chair opposed of himself.

Theodore naturally did as he was asked and sat down in his own plain chair. Even guest were not spared this treatment, he knew, as this would convey their stance in a very simple manner!

"We must speak of many things Theo. The results of the past two weeks have been.. miraculous. Many things are on the line right now. Though I'd rather not, you too must shoulder a bit of the family's burden." His grandfather spoke seriously.

Theodore acknowledged his grandfather's words as he sat upright and turned his attention fully on his grandfather, no longer admiring the decorations and books on the shelves.

"You bought this 'enhancer' from this murky fellow downtown. We've discussed this before, but we've been unable to find any trace whatsoever of this fellow. He has vanished. With the capability to disappear whilst our family forces are looking for him, he must not be a simple fellow. For now, we've stopped investigating this matter as we haven't found even a single clue. This matter could be related to other family's coveting our wealth or influence, however, it is unlikely as they hardly have the ability to do such a thing under our eyes... We'll never disclose this matter to the outside. We've announced your successful recovery to the world as well. This news also hasn't led to anything suspicious. We'll shelve this issue for now." His grandfather reported matter factly.

Theo only nodded, knowing his grandfather would move on to more important subjects.

His grandfather smiled, happy with his grandsons' attitude. Knowing when to speak and when to listen, being attentive and smart. Over the last two weeks, his grandfather had been seen nodding a lot when Theodore went through rehabilitation. Pleased with his grandson's demeanour and attitude he had been smiling more than ever. His old regrets had turned into motivation, and his renewed vigour and attention for his grandson had, in turn, made the old man happier every day,

"During your absence, some decisions were made, Theodore. You're the appointed heir of the family. As your father was before you. In your fathers' absence, some of the family members have voiced their concern about the future of our family. These voices have been suppressed by me for the longest time. Ultimately, the decision is mine to make. But I still have to lead this family to it's best future. This is the pledge every head of the family makes to their ancestors when ascending as the denoted family head." A small silence was left before he continued;

"The political landscape is changing. There are more struggles near the border. many influences are preparing for various outcomes of these changes. Our family too has to prepare for whatever the future brings. During you're coma, we, as a family, voted for our families future. During this voting, your nephew Constance was named second in line of the family. Should you come to die, he would be the new heir. However, as you were incapable of taking on any of the family's responsibilities, Constance has been fulfilling your duties. Since recovery seemed impossible for you at one moment, we've allocated our yearly Elite spot in the Kelper Military University to Constance. This spot, therefore, cannot be allocated to you. You will have to gain access through the usual route, even though it is unusual for the heir of our family to do so. Even though you haven't prepared for this, I have complete faith in you, Theodore".